New work permit rules in Canada risk leading to the disqualification of a total of 67,000 international graduates.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published a list of 966 academic programs for students of specific fields to be eligible for the Work Permit, VisaGuide.World reports.
These fields consist of agriculture and agri-food, as well as science, technology, healthcare, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as transportation and skilled trades.
Following the new rules by IRCC that are set to become effective this month, at least 67,000 out of 105,030 foreign students who received work permits during this year may not qualify if they finished their studies outside of designated fields.
A recent report from the Toronto Star revealed that 64 per cent of the 105,030 postgraduate work permits were issued to international graduates from colleges.
While business studies graduates account for 42 per cent of the permits, STEM fields represent 37 per cent and computing and IT for 16 per cent.
Based on the new work permit rules, international students must focus on specific fields in order to qualify for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) of Canada.
Stricter Requirements for PGWP Qualification
Students who apply for or hold a study permit before the new regulations become effective will still be able to benefit from the Work Permit without being subject to additional requirements.
However, once the new changes are implemented, stricter rules will be applied for those qualifying under the PGWP program.
Authorities in Canada have emphasized that some exemptions will be applied in this regard. Graduates from degree programs offered by universities will not be subject to new restrictions after they continue to qualify for this scheme for up to three years without being required to meet additional requirements.
However, the new changes have sparked controversies in Canada. In September of this year, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, Marketa Evans, expressed her concerns regarding the issue in a letter addressed to the IRCC Minister, Marc Miller.
We are very concerned about the lack of consultation with provinces and the use of national labor market information to inform what local employers need.
Similar concerns were also expressed by the CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, Pari Johnston, according to a report from Leadership.
Johnston said that Canada’s decision to align programs with national needs leads to a fundamental disconnect between the pressing needs of local labor markets and the essential contributions of skilled foreign graduates.